Pick grapes, Fight fires, Pick grapes...

The rain will arrive today. At Pina Vineyard Management, the troops have been working hard and putting in long hours to get the grapes harvested before the rains come.  It has been a very difficult farming year for Napa Valley grape farmers.  Mother Nature has not been cooperative, but even so, we're wrapping up harvest. Tuesday night, Mother Nature dealt us another blow.  Winds were responsible for causing a fire that burned down a house in the Soda Canyon area of the Silverado Trail.  Efforts to contain the fire involved over 100 firefighters and many of those firefighters are volunteers with jobs in the wine industry.

My brother, Davie, was one of them.  He had worked a long day and was at home when the call came in @ 8:30 PM for the fire. As tired as he was, he got dressed and headed out.  He went to the Rutherford Volunteer Firemen's sub-station (about a half mile North of his house) and drove the Water Tender Firetruck to the fire. The water tender is one of the two firetrucks that was parked at Pina Napa Valley for several years (Hence, our Firehouse vineyard/label). He was released from the fire at 3:45 AM on Wednesday.  Later that day, a KGO film crew caught up to him to record a very brief soundbite.

The interview might have lasted a bit longer if Davie hadn't told them he just didn't have the time. He still had grapes in the field that needed to go to a winery.

Pick grapes, fight fires, pick grapes...

Rutherford Appellation Wineries donate to RFD

Robin, Michelle, Davie, Katie, Ron & Larry

This is the Rutherford Passport Weekend (See event info below). Some of our visitors are surprised to learn that the funds from the passes sold do not go to the participating wineries, they go to the Rutherford Appellation Wineries (RAW) association. The association uses the funds to promote the Rutherford appelation wineries and also donates to local organizations and charities.

Just last week, RAW made a $5,000 donation to the Rutherford Volunteer Fire Department.

In the above photo are: Robin Baggett and Michelle Fields (Alpha Omega), Davie Piña (Piña/Assistant Chief - RFD) Katie Lewis (Peju), Ron Wicker (Chief – RFD) and Larry Stone (Rubicon). Robin, Davie & Larry are on the Board of Directors of the Rutherford Dust Society, where Larry is also the president. Keep up the good work, everybody!